Profile
Elia comprises two legal entities, Elia System Operator SA and Elia Asset SA, operating
as a single economic entity under the generic name Elia. Together with its subsidiary Elia
Engineering, it employs around 1,231 people. Elia is Belgium’s electricity transmission
system operator (TSO) under licences awarded to it by the country’s federal government
(for the 150 to 380 kV network) and those of its three regions (for the 30 to 70 kV grid).
As TSO, Elia operates in line with its values of empathy, responsibility, entrepreneurship
and integrity.
Elia seeks to engage in open and transparent dialogue with its various stakeholders. This
commitment applies to its customers, suppliers, shareholders, potential investors, authorities and the community at large, as well as to Group staff members.
The company’s number one duty is to ensure the reliable and safe transmission of electricity from production units in Belgium and Europe to grid users, namely distribution system
operators and large industrial consumers. Given the central position of the Belgian grid
in the Western European electricity system and Belgium’s net import balance, Elia takes
constant care to ensure safe management of international power flows (imports, exports
and transits) on its grid.

4

Elia also ensures that there is a constant
balance between production and imports, on the one hand, and consumption and exports, on the other, within its
control area. Since electrical energy is
difficult to store, it must be generated as
and when consumption requires it.
To enable it to perform its tasks, Elia
must maintain its various facilities,
including lines, cables, transformers
and dispatching centres. It develops and
upgrades its grid using the latest triedand-tested technologies. This approach
incorporates a proactive respect for the
environment and supports the sustainable development policies in place in
Europe and in Belgium at both federal
and regional level.

Its unique and central position on the
Belgian electricity market allows Elia to
develop innovative services and mechanisms aimed at ensuring the effective
operation and development of this
market within continental Europe.
Elia adheres strictly to statutory rules
on corporate governance as well as the
provisions of the Belgian Corporate Governance Code for listed companies.
Elia has been listed on the regulated
market of Euronext Brussels since June
2005.

5

Eliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities
In its capacity as the Belgian transmission system operator, Elia has three
main, interdependent tasks.

Power grid operation.
Elia constantly monitors balance of generation
and import on the one hand and exports and
consumption on the other in its control area.
Since electrical energy is consumed instantly
when generated, the quantities of electricity injected into the grid must constantly be balanced
in real time against the quantities taken from the
grid (i.e. consumed). The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s security of
supply depends on this.

Infrastructure management.
Elia maintains high-voltage installations: lines,
cables, transformers and so on. Depending on
the marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirements and the need for a
sound management of the electrical system, Elia

6

uses and upgrades its grid using the best available advanced technologies.

Market facilitation.
Elia holds a unique and central position on the
national electricity market. As such, it serves
as a market facilitator and implements services
and mechanisms enabling the correct operation
and development of the market in continental
Europe.

7

Management and supervisory bodies
Board of directors
The Boards of Directors of Elia System Operator and Elia Asset each have 12 members. The same members sit on both Boards. These members do not have a management function within either Elia System
Operator or Elia Asset. Half of the members are independent directors, appointed by the general meeting
and having received a positive unanimous opinion by CREG on their independence.

Chairman
Ronnie Belmans

Appointed as Chairman for 3 years on June 24, 2008

Electrabel

Vice-Chairmen
Francis Vermeiren
Thierry Willemarck

Appointed as Vice-Chairman for 3 years on June 24, 2008 Publi-T
Appointed as Vice-Chairman for 3 years on June 24, 2008 Independent

Headquarters
National Control Centre
Regional Control Centre
Elia Engineering
Service Centre

Group structure and shareholders
Free float*
40,1%

Publi-T
33,01%

Electrabel
24,35%

Publipart
2,54%

Elia System Operator

Elia Asset
99,99%
Economic unit

CASC-CWE
14,28%

HGRT
24,5%

Coreso
33,33%

Elia Re**
100%

Elia Engineering**
100%

Belpex
60%

* Groep Arco has announced on 21 October 2008 that it has 10,37 % of the Elia shares in its possession.
** Elia System Operator has 1 share of Elia Re and 1 share of Elia Engineering in its possession.
*** The total number of shares outstanding rose to 48,076,949 on 31 March 2008.
11

The consumption indicator1 for the Elia control
area was down 1%, from 88.9 TWh in 2007 to
88 TWh in 2008. Overall, climatic conditions in
2008 were similar to those in 2007, although the
winter lasted slightly longer. Consumption rose
slightly in the first quarter, resulting in an overall
increase (up to and including September) of
1.4% compared with the same period in 2007.

In November 2008, it was down 8.5% compared
with November 2007. In December it dropped
even further, to 10.1% less than the previous
year. This fall in consumption originated mainly
with industrial customers. Among companies
connected directly to the Elia grid, consumption
fell by 14.6% in November and 28.5% in December, compared with the same period in 2007.

By contrast, the last quarter of 2008 saw
consumption affected by the economic crisis.

1 The Elia consumption indicator covers the majority of electricity consumption in Belgium. It includes all production connected to the Elia grid plus the net import-export balance. The share of consumption supplied directly by
production units connected to the distribution grids is not included in the indicator.

17

Evolution of consumption
Monthly injected energy in the Elia control area

Exchanges
with Luxemburg
Exchanges
with France
Exchanges
with the Netherlands

19

Reliability Elia grid
In 2008, security of supply remained at a very high
level, exceeding that of the previous year, which
was already excellent.
• The average number of interruptions on the Elia
grid per consumer (Average Interruption Frequency) was 0.08, equivalent to one interruption per
customer every 12 years.
• The average duration of interruptions was 38 minutes and 29 seconds.
• Spread across all customers, the average duration
of interruption was 3 minutes and 7 seconds per
customer (Average Interruption Time), equivalent
to an average reliability of more than 99.999%.
Belgium is definitely one of the best countries in
Europe in terms of quality of electricity supply.

20

Average
Interruption
Time

Average
Interruption
Frequency

Average
Interruption
Duration

Reliability
Elia grid

Numbers of
days in
the year

2005*

03.01

0,096

31.27

99,9994%

365

2006

05.14

0,130

41.23

99,9990%

365

2007

03.32

0,090

39.07

99,9993%

365

2008

03:07

0,080

38:29

99,9994%

366

* Power cuts on 25 and 26 November 2005 not included. These were caused by an exceptional concurrence
of weather conditions.
As internationally recommended the statistics for the continuity of the power supply only include interruptions that last for longer than 3 minutes into account.
Average Interruption Time indicates the average number of minutes of interruption time for all customers
on the Elia grid.
Average Interruption Frequency indicates the average number of annual interruptions per customer. A
number of 0.09 indicates that each customer experiences an interruption every 11 years.
Average Interruption Duration indicates the average duration of a customer interruption.

21

Sustainable development
Rational energy use (RUE)
As part of its public service obligations in Flanders, each year Elia implements an action
plan aimed at encouraging Rational Use of Energy (RUE) among its customers. In Flanders,
Elia provides its customers with the resources required to make recurrent savings of 1.5%
on their primary energy consumption for each MWh supplied, for facilities connected at
between 36 kV and 70 kV.
Elia reached its 2008 target – a saving of 26.7 GWh of electrical energy – by subsidising
energy-saving measures implemented by its industrial customers. Results to the end of
December 2008 already showed a saving of 38.6 GWh, well ahead of the initial target. 23
schemes have been introduced and 19 customers have undertaken to invest in energysaving schemes. Since 2003, thanks to Elia’s work with its industrial customers, a combined
total of 242 GWh of energy had been saved by the end of December 2008 – equivalent to
some 79,000 tonnes of CO2.

Green energy certificates
In order to promote power generation using renewable energy sources, Elia buys all green
energy certificates that are offered at the set minimum price. These certificates, issued by
the regulators, prove that an amount of energy produced in Belgium comes from renewable
sources. Energy suppliers are compelled to submit a minimum number of certificates to the
regulators, which they can buy directly from the producers, or at auctions organised by Elia.